Henderson Gets Anfield Ovation In Liverpool Vs Brentford Henderson Return
Jordan Henderson got the response he wanted on his liverpool vs brentford henderson return, drawing a standing ovation at Anfield on Sunday afternoon when Brentford took him off on the hour mark. Liverpool supporters, the home players and Arne Slot all joined in as the former captain made his first return since leaving nearly three years ago.
Salah’s Anfield request
Mohamed Salah had asked Liverpool fans to give Henderson a special reception before the match, and the ground delivered it. Salah said earlier this month that Liverpool should do something special for him because Henderson had been captain of the club, here longer than Andy Robertson and Virgil van Dijk, and did not get the farewell he deserved.
That plea matched the mood inside Anfield once Henderson stepped back into the same stadium where he had spent 12 years and won the Champions League and Premier League as captain. He left for Saudi Arabia without a proper farewell, then spent six months at Al-Ettifaq before moving on to Ajax for 18 months and coming back to the Premier League this summer with Brentford.
Henderson’s long Liverpool stay
The reception also reflected how abruptly his Liverpool ending came. Henderson said towards the end of last year that leaving Liverpool was huge and really difficult after 12 years at the club, and he admitted he could not watch Liverpool on TV after the move.
He also said, “I didn’t watch a lot of Premier League stuff then… probably picked the right place for that, I was half way around the world!” The comments fit the emotion of Sunday afternoon, when the former captain was applauded by the people who spent years watching him lead them through the club’s biggest seasons.
Brentford’s hour-mark change
Aaron Hickey replaced Henderson on the hour mark, turning the substitution into the moment of the afternoon. After the final whistle, Henderson went on a lap of appreciation around Anfield and clapped all four sides of the ground.
For Brentford, the visit was another league match. For Henderson, it was the first time back at Anfield since leaving, and the applause showed that his departure had never erased what he had done there. The return ended with the same image Liverpool fans had been waiting for: Henderson facing every stand and acknowledging them all before leaving the pitch.
